Filmmaker sheds light on more sustainable homebuilding

According to local filmmaker Mark Pennington, it’s possible to build a home that will last more than 500 years and is environmentally responsible — all for the price of a “vinyl-clad, production-built box.” That’s the premise behind Pennington’s "Hope for Architecture" documentary and movement.

“It’s about shifting paradigms and examining the current construction practices of homebuilding through the lens of whether or not it is good for us,” Pennington said.

To help prove his point of responsible residential construction, Pennington enlisted the help of a few friends, including Clay Chapman, Damon Noisette and various local musicians who worked on the film’s original soundtrack.

“On average, a new construction home built today has an estimated life expectancy of 50 to 80 years,” Pennington said. “These ‘new’ homes will ultimately be torn down and end up in a landfill after one generation of use. Most people just don’t realize that we have essentially been building millions and millions of disposable homes.”

Thought up well before One Spark was announced, the Hope for Architecture movement has already been in production for close to a year.

“I’ve been following along and filming the progress of the first Hope for Architecture home, which is almost fully completed,” Pennington said. “It’s the story of a builder trying to change the world, one brick at a time."